Fault detection using showerhead voltage variation

Abstract

A method includes providing radio frequency (RF) power from an RF power supply to a showerhead of a plasma processing system running a process operation on a substrate disposed in the plasma processing system. The method senses a voltage the showerhead using a voltage probe that is connected in-line between the RF power supply and the showerhead. The sensing of the voltage produces voltage values during the running of the process operation. The method includes comparing the voltage values against a voltage check band that is predefined for the process operation being run. The comparing is configured to detect when the voltage values are outside of the voltage check band. The method generates an alert when the comparing detects that the voltage values are outside of the voltage check band. The alert identifies a type of fault based on the voltage check band that was predefined for the process operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for detecting processing conditions of a plasma processing system that includes multiple stations, comprising,
 providing radio frequency (RF) power from an RF power supply to a showerhead of each station of the multiple stations of the plasma processing system; 
 running a process operation on substrates disposed in each station of the multiple stations of the plasma processing system; 
 at each station of the multiple stations, sensing a voltage of the showerhead using a voltage probe that is connected in-line between the RF power supply and the showerhead, the voltage sensed of the showerhead being sensed over a period of time, the sensing of the voltage producing voltage values during the running of the process operation at each station of the multiple stations; 
 comparing the voltage values for each station against a voltage check band that is predefined for the process operation being run, the comparing is configured to detect which station produced voltage values that are outside of the voltage check band; and 
 generating an alert when the comparing detects that voltage values associated with at least one of the multiple stations are outside of the voltage check band, the alert further configured to identify a type of fault based on an amount of variation positive or negative of sensed voltages in relation to the voltage check band that was predefined for the process operation, and identify a specific one or more of the multiple stations associated with the fault. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising,
 running a second process operation on the substrates or other substrates in the multiple stations of the system, the second process operation being associated with a respective voltage check band that is predefined for the second process operation. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising,
 performing a calibration operation for the plasma processing system, the calibration operation producing information for defining the voltage check band for the process condition, the information being saved to a database and accessed during the comparing operation. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the calibration operation produces information for a plurality of voltage check bands associated with a plurality of process operations, wherein each one of the plurality of voltage check bands corresponds to specific system conditions. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein ones of the specific system conditions include wafer misplacement, or precursor delivery failure, or valve operation failure, or an electrical short condition, or an electrical open condition. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the process operation is a deposition process configured to deposit a layer of material over the substrates. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the type of fault is one of a wafer misplacement, or a precursor delivery failure, or valve operation failure, or an electrical short condition, or an electrical open condition. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a graphical representation of the voltage check band that illustrates the voltage values over the period of time for each station of the multiple stations, the graphical representation of the voltage check band is configured to graphically display which of the multiple stations is associated with the fault. 
 
     
     
       9. A method for detecting faults associated with processing conditions of a plasma processing system that includes multiple stations, comprising,
 providing radio frequency (RF) power from an RF power supply; 
 distributing the RF power to supply power to showerheads of each station of the multiple stations; 
 running a process operation on substrates disposed in each station of the multiple stations; 
 at each station of the multiple stations, sensing a voltage of the showerhead using a voltage probe that is connected in-line between the RF power supply and the showerhead, the voltage sensed of the showerhead being sensed over a period of time, the sensing of the voltage producing voltage values during the running of the process operation at each station of the multiple stations; 
 comparing the voltage values for each station against a voltage check band that is predefined for the process operation being run, the comparing is configured to detect which station produced voltage values that are outside of the voltage check band by illustrating the voltage values over the period of time for each station of the multiple stations on a graph of a display interfaced with the plasma processing system; and 
 generating an alert when the comparing detects that voltage values associated with at least one of the multiple stations are outside of the voltage check band, the alert further configured to identify a type of fault based on an amount of variation positive or negative of sensed voltages in relation to the voltage check band that was predefined for the process operation, and the graph is configured to identify a specific one or more of the multiple stations associated with the fault. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising,
 running a second process operation on the substrates or other substrates in the multiple stations, the second process operation being associated with a respective voltage check band that is predefined for the second process operation. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising,
 performing a calibration operation for the plasma processing system, the calibration operation producing information for defining the voltage check band for specific process conditions, the information being saved to a database and accessed during the comparing operation. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising,
 processing a calibration operation that produces information for a plurality of voltage check bands associated with a plurality of process operations, wherein each one of the plurality of voltage check bands corresponds to specific system conditions. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein ones of the specific system conditions include wafer misplacement, or precursor delivery failure, or valve operation failure, or an electrical short condition, or an electrical open condition. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the process operation is a deposition process configured to deposit a layer of material over the substrates.